Proof of Toughness
by Nature9000
Summary: Sam learns of other's thoughts about her and wonders if she is truly tough. She then sets out to prove she is tough, and soon gains help to become stronger. Will she prove that she is tough, or will she be weak?


Proof of Toughness

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: This was inspired by a reviewer: Celts8, who asked me why Sam is always the one in danger and Freddie's always the one who is tough. So bear with me, Sam in this story has knowledge of fanfiction. Just read and enjoy, you'll like it.

-JUST READ AND ENJOY-

Sam rested in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was having trouble getting up; she didn't want to get up at all. Of course, she knew she had to. She would rather stay in bed and think about the things that were on her mind. She recently had been reading on a fanfiction site, and found that people had written some fanfiction about her, as well as her friends. She was confused at all the people that thought she and Freddie would ever go together, but then, it made some sense. She was in love with him, and had four more years to let him know, or go to college and forget him. That was something she could never do, no matter how hard she tried. All she knew was she wanted him to love her, but he said he'd given up on dealing with that. He didn't even like Carly as more than a friend anymore.

Sam sat up and glanced at the laptop on her desk, she had been reading fanfiction all of last night, even though she should have done her homework. Sam shrugged and recalled some of the stories. Colorsofthesky101 was one of her most favorite authors, if not her favorite. Then there were some others out there, like The-Purple-Fuzzle. Of course, all the stories from Colorsofthesky101, like iRemember and iSwitch were awesome. The only issue she had was they all involved her getting together with Freddie.

_"Not much of an issue,"_ Sam said while placing her feet on the ground. She sighed and glanced out the window. _"Perhaps it is the only way I can ever see myself with him." _Another author that was up with Colors in the favorites was Nature9000. His writing was always nice, but like many other fanfiction authors, he wrote her as always in danger and Freddie was always the one saving her. _"I like the damsel type thing, and sure, it's nice seeing that Freddie can protect me…I do think it would happen like that if something really bad happened, I would hope Freddie could protect me. Still, I apparently never see when it happens and can't always escape it."_

She thought that she was weak, because every fanfiction she read out there portrayed her as someone who got kidnapped, tortured, or even killed. She knew she wasn't weak, and that she could fight her way out of it if she could. Of course, she always wanted to be like her favorite anime character. That was Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist. She was an excellent sniper and almost always could escape danger. She was tough, but at the same time, she was feminine.

_"I want to be just like her, always careful and tough."_ Sam slowly stood up and continued gazing out the window. She quickly lifted her hand and caught a pencil that had been flying toward her. She shifted her eyes to the side and saw her kid brother, the mischievous sibling. She was the older sibling of two young twins. Derek and Angie Puckett were their names. Derek was the mischievous one and Angie was always sweet, like an angel. "Derek, why are you throwing pencils at me?" Angie soon ran in the room and looked at Sam.

"Are you okay?" Angie asked in a soft and sweet voice. She turned her head and looked at Derek. "Why did you throw that at her!"

"I was trying to wake up Sammy!" Derek explained. Sam chuckled lightly and walked over to the desk, placing her pencil down.

"Derek, we don't throw things at other people," Sam said as she walked over to her five year old brother. She rubbed his head and then left the room, she wondered if she should find one of her friends and discuss her toughness. _"Maybe I'll call Valerie up."_ Sam could hear her two siblings following her, possibly wondering what she was doing. Sam smiled and picked up the phone. At that, her two siblings left the area, possibly to leave her alone to talk on the phone. She dialed Valerie's number and waited until her friend said hello. "Valerie, how are you today?"

"I'm good, tired, but good," Valerie responded.

"You're tired at noontime?"

"Well, I have been up since early today. I've been baking food and whatnot. So, what's going on with you?"

"I read a lot of fanfiction last night. Do you think I'm weak, Valerie?" Another thing that was odd, was in most fanfiction she read, Jonah was evil. She didn't want to tell Valerie that, since Jonah was her boyfriend. _"That's another occurrence in fanfiction, I wonder if these people are spying on us."_ Jake and Jonah were Freddie's two best friends, while Valerie and Carly were hers.

"You're not weak, Sam. You're very tough. Don't let stories that other people write tell you who you are."

"Yeah, but a lot of them are true. Take Jonah and Jake for example, they are Freddie's best friends. Jake dates Carly, and Jonah dates you. Not only that, Jake _is_ a bit of a pervert." There was some noise in the background on Valerie's end, she was probably stirring something in a pot.

"That is all probably just coincidental."

"It says that Freddie's always tough and often I'm in danger. Also, I'm always the damsel that Freddie saves."

"Sam, that's your _dream_." Sam blinked and felt a blush on her face. That was true, she had always dreamed of Freddie coming to her as a knight and shining armor. "You even wrote a story once where you got kidnapped by some witch and Freddie came in on horseback, saving your life!"

"Yeah, but you're never going to tell him, or anyone else that information." Valerie sighed and she nodded her head.

"I told you before that I'd never tell anyone. Yet, you still should tell him. You know he hasn't liked Carly in years. I'm willing to bet he's waiting on you, or at least someone."

"What does Jonah say about him? Does Freddie tell him anything about me?" Valerie chuckled slightly and let out a sigh.

"He's sworn to secrecy too, you know. Just like me." Sam frowned and glanced to the side. She could get Jonah to tell her, it was possible.

"Is he there?"

"No, he's with Jake and Freddie right now. Oh! Did you know that Freddie has been working out for years?" Sam's eyes widened slightly, that didn't make any sense. She never knew he worked out. Not only that, it added up to his being tough.

"How did _you_ find out?"

"Jonah told me he was going to meet Freddie and Jake at the gym. I knew Jonah worked out, but I never knew anything about Freddie or Jake working out."

"So, the guys are at the gym?"

"Yeah, they're at the gym for the next few hours." Valerie paused for a moment and then spoke with a beaming voice. "Do you want to hang out with me and Carly? We can go to the mall or something."

"That's tempting. I think I'm going to pay the boys a visit." Valerie was speechless, she didn't have any clue what Sam was thinking. "Valerie, do you think Freddie actually _let_ me beat on him and stuff?"

"Have you ever tried to hit him?"

"No."

"Well, when Jonah told me about Freddie working out, I asked him a few questions. He tells me that Freddie is pretty good at dodging blows, and that if you tried to hit him, Freddie could do one of two things. He could either let you hit him, and possibly pretend to be hurt, or he would dodge the blow." Sam's eyebrow twitched and her teeth clenched together. "I think Jonah said Freddie at one point told him that whenever you moved, it was obvious where you were targeting." Sam huffed and glanced to the side, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew Carly pinned him down once, so he couldn't be all that tough.

"What about when he pinned Carly down?" Valerie tapped her chin and recalled a memory from when she was listening to Freddie and Jake talk. They had been talking about that moment when Carly pinned him.

"Freddie let her."

"Aw come on! I bet I could pin him down." Valerie nodded in response, she was sure of that. Sam was tougher than Carly, and stronger than she was.

"Well, did Jonah happen to mention how much they could bench?" Valerie blinked and Sam let out a small sigh. "Hey, I go to the gym every now and then."

"Do you have an exercise program? Jonah says they have routines or something. Like they work the chest and biceps on Monday, the triceps and back on Tuesday, they take a break on Wednesday, then they work the legs and shoulders on Thursday, and then they take a break from Friday to Sunday."

"What? Why would they do that?"

"Jonah says that you need to take a day or so to let your muscles rest. Muscles grow when they rest, not when you work out. Also he says that you can't grow stronger if you only work out every now and then." Sam frowned and rolled her eyes, slowly she was growing more and more annoyed.

"Just tell me if Jonah told you how much they bench."

"Oh, well Jonah can bench around 190, Jake can bench 195 and Freddie can bench 210." Sam laughed lightly and Valerie tilted her head to the side, wondering what Sam was laughing about.

"I can outdo all three of them!"

"Uh, Sam, how much can _you_ bench?" Sam paused for a moment and shrugged her shoulders.

"Are you saying that you think I'm weak?"

"No, you're tough, but I've never seen you lift 210 pounds."

"I could do 220 pounds, I'll go down and show them all!" Valerie sighed and shook her head. She knew that would be bad if Sam tried that. She didn't want Sam to get hurt, and thought that was exactly what she'd do if she tried to show off. "You think I'll hurt myself, don't you?" Sam narrowed her eyes and Valerie let out a small sigh.

"Of course not, but I am concerned about you showing off to the boys. I hear that they get real competitive some times."

"Freddie's still a dork, he has to be."

"Yes, he is. He's just a dork that works out. The more you work out, the stronger you get, that's what Jonah told me."

"Yeah, well I'm going to go find the guys, so I'll talk to you later." Valerie chuckled nervously and gave a brief nod.

"Sure, but you could just go to the mall with us…"

"I'm going to prove my toughness. I can't do that by going to the mall." Valerie gave a defeated sigh and shrugged her shoulders, there was no use in trying to talk Sam out of going to the gym.

"Okay, well have fun with the boys. As Carly would say, don't have _too_ much fun with them, mainly Freddie."

"Valerie!" Valerie laughed and Sam let out a small growl.

"Have fun."

"Bye, Valerie." Sam hung up and looked toward the kitchen, she would have to eat before going to the gym. She hadn't been to the gym in a few weeks, so she was due to go. She took a guess and figured that the boys hid their muscles by wearing the long sleeved shirts that they had. In any case, Sam had never seen any of the three with muscles.

-NEW SCENE-

"Alright, warm ups are done," Freddie said while standing up. Jake and Jonah stood up and nodded in response. "Abs worked. Let's go over to the bench press." The three walked over toward the bench press and Freddie took off his jacket. He then took off his outer shirt and revealed a muscle shirt. When he didn't have his jacket or longer pants on, you could tell he had some muscles. Of course, the men did do exercises that shaped their muscles, so the muscles wouldn't bulge like a bodybuilder's muscles did.

"You go first, we'll put on the weights," Jake said while moving over to a weight rack. Jonah nodded and stepped next to the weight rack. "How much will you start out with, Freddie?" Freddie eyed the bar and rubbed his chin.

"Start me out with 210, and let's work it up from there." Jake and Jonah nodded as they took off the weights and started putting them on the bar. Freddie laid back on the weight bench and placed his hands on the bar. "Okay, Jake you spot me and Jonah, you can add the weights when I ask for them."

"Alright then," Jonah responded as he crossed his arms. "I'll count as well." Jake stood behind Freddie and the bar, placing his hands underneath the bar. "Ready?" Freddie nodded and lifted the bar up with Jake. He then brought the bar to his chest and Jake took his hands away from the bar, watching as Freddie pushed the bar up into the air. "One, and nine more to go before we raise the weight."

"Yeah, that's correct." They tried to do their sets with 10, 10, 8, and 6. Freddie soon did ten reps and held the bar up. Jake placed his hands under the bar and put it back on the holder. "Bring it up to 215, Jonah." Jonah nodded and brought two 1.5 pound weights over to the bar. He placed them on the ends of the bar and Freddie gripped it. "Okay, ten more reps."

"Yep, then I guess we'll raise the weights up." Freddie nodded as he lifted the bar and brought it to his chest. He grunted as he pushed the bar up and counted the number one. The boys became wrapped up in this, that they didn't see Sam walk into the gym.

Sam looked over and saw Freddie lifting the weights, she felt her breath stop for a minute and a blush rise to her cheeks. This was the first time she had seen Freddie without a long sleeved shirt on or something to hide his muscles with. _"There seems to be a bit of testosterone here,"_ Sam thought while slowly gulping. She watched as Freddie smoothly pushed the weights up and let the bar fall back to his chest, pushing it up once more. Freddie held the bar up and Jake gripped it once more, leading it back to the holder. Freddie continued to grip the bar and looked over at Jonah.

"More weights," Freddie stated. Jonah nodded as he and Jake took off the 1.5 pound weights and put on two five pound weights. That brought the weight on the bar up to two hundred. "Okay, I need to try and make eight reps with this." Jake and Jonah both stepped behind the bar as Freddie gripped it with his hands. They stopped and looked up to see Sam watching them closely and slowly walking toward them, her eyes were on Freddie and she appeared to be in a daze. "Why are we stopping?" Freddie sat up and looked at Sam, his eyes growing wide. "Sam!"

"Huh?" Sam blinked and shook her head, bringing herself out of the daze she was in. "Hey dork, you never told me you worked out!" Freddie sighed and took the towel around his neck, wiping his face as he stood up.

"There might have been a reason for me to work out." Freddie smirked and crossed his arms over. "Perhaps I felt like getting stronger, and since when should it matter?" Sam paused for a moment, thinking of what Valerie said before. She smirked and moved her right arm slightly, Freddie caught the action and sighed as Sam threw a punch. He swiftly lifted his hand and caught her fist in his.

"What!" Jake and Jonah looked at each other and snickered as Freddie gave a sigh.

"It was obvious that you were about to strike with your right arm. Your punch is slow and you didn't make any care to conceal the movement in your arm, giving away the fact that you were about to throw a punch. No offense, but a baby could have blocked that punch." Freddie smirked and Sam's jaw fell. She growled and clenched her left fist, she then brought it up and Freddie brought his left arm up, deflecting the blow.

"What the hell!"

"Clenching your fist gives me warning that you're about to attack with that arm." Sam huffed and took a step back, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"I _am_ tough! How much weight is on that bar?" Freddie looked over at the bar and raised his eyebrow.

"There's two hundred and twenty pounds on that, why?" Sam smirked and laid on the bench. Freddie's eyes widened as she gripped the bar. "Excuse me, I could be mistaken, but you're not planning on lifting that, are you?"

"Yes I am. What? Do you think I can't lift this?" Freddie looked at his two friends, they were staring with worried and speechless expressions. "Come on, I'll need a spotter. I can prove to you that I'm tough! I'll wipe the floor with you!" Freddie sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"This is why I never told her I was working out…" Freddie gestured toward his friends and started walking toward the bar. "Come on guys, let's spot her." With that, the boys placed their hands on the bottom of the bar and helped Sam to lift it up.

"Let go of the bar!"

"How about _no_…"

"Let it go, now!" Freddie wasn't about to do that, he knew the dangers of releasing the bar. If not careful, she could kill herself. "I can do this, now let it go."

"Damn it, this is 220 pounds, you can't lift that!" Freddie let out a small sigh and looked into Sam's determined eyes. "Close your eyes." Sam nodded and slowly closed her eyes. Jonah took a piece of clean cloth and placed it over her eyes. "Okay Sam, bring it to your chest."

"Thank you." Jake and Jonah released the bar and Freddie kept his palms under the bar, so it wouldn't fall and crush Sam. The bar lowered and Freddie made sure the bar didn't go any further than the very top of Sam's chest. Sam struggled to push the bar up, and when she couldn't, she started to panic. "Freddie, I can't lift it!" Freddie nodded and clenched the bar in his hands, he let out a grunting sound as he lifted the bar up and placed it on the holders. Sam quickly sat up and started to pant. "Damn it…"

"Sam, what the hell were you trying to prove just now?" Sam let out a sigh and slowly stood up, she hated that she couldn't out lift Freddie. She smirked and Freddie then raised his eyebrow, wondering what she was thinking. Sam quickly turned around and charged toward Freddie, lifting her arms up. Freddie swiftly lifted his arms and grasped Sam's wrists. "Now what are you doing? Don't tell me you're trying to pin me to the ground…"

"Damn it, dork. Shut up, you let Carly pin you!" Freddie raised his eyebrow and let out a small sigh.

"Right, I'm not going to let you pin me down while I'm at the gym. I'll ask again, what the hell are you trying to do?" Sam groaned and stepped back, clenching her teeth together.

"I read fanfiction and I wanted to show that I'm not completely weak." Freddie paused for a minute and then chuckled slightly. He slowly shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Sam, you're tough enough, don't worry."

"I can't seem to pin you or hit you!" Freddie rolled his eyes and sighed once more.

"How can I explain this? I _like_ being stronger than you. If I'm stronger than you, I can…well…" Freddie shifted his eyes to the side and lowered his voice to a quiet pace. "I feel like I can protect you from anything."

"What did you just say?" Freddie groaned slightly and looked into Sam's eyes.

"I feel more like a man if I'm stronger than you, and definitely Carly." Sam felt her heart thump at that, he was working out so he could be stronger than she was.

"How long have you been working out?"

"Since after Carly pinned me to the ground…" Jonah raised his eyebrow and chuckled slightly, causing Freddie to glance over at him. "What?"

"You started working out after you and Jake ganged up on me." Freddie laughed and Jake chuckled slightly. That was true, they didn't start working out until after they talked to Jonah. Jonah was the one that told them about the gym membership, and they started working out afterwards.

"That's right, that's when it happened. You didn't do to well flashing that gym membership around, cause we still brought you to the ground." Jonah frowned and pushed his hands into his pockets. Freddie frowned and patted his shoulder. "Sorry man, I didn't mean to bring up such painful memories."

"Nah, that's fine." Sam blinked and raised her eyebrow. She had no clue that Freddie had beat up Jonah. "I deserved what I got anyway, plus, I got Valerie. I love her so much, and I feel like I can protect her no matter what."

"Yeah, and I can keep Carly safe," Jake said while crossing his arms and smirking. Freddie nodded and Sam tapped Freddie's shoulder. He turned around and looked at Sam.

"So, is that what you're doing?" Sam asked while meeting Freddie's gaze. "You want to protect me?"

"I never said that," Freddie stated while shifting his eyes to the side. His answer came quickly and the other boys slowly shook their heads. "I just figure that I'm more of a man if I'm stronger than you. You're not weak, Sam. You're stronger than you think."

"Well at least I know why I can't pin down the dork." Sam's eyes narrowed and a growl escaped her throat.

"If it would make you feel better, I'll let you pin me to the floor mat right now." Sam glared at Freddie and crossed her arms.

"I don't want anyone to _let_ me! Plus, Valerie said she heard you and Jake say that you let Carly pin you!"

"We knew she was listening in, and we knew she'd tell you eventually. So, that's what I said." Sam's eye twitched and she let out another growl, she was thinking of a way to test Freddie.

"I want you to try and pin me down, I bet you can't." Freddie raised his eyebrow and slowly shook his head.

"I'm not going to do that." Sam narrowed her eyes and glared into Freddie's eyes. She knew she shouldn't look into his eyes, because she always gets lost in them, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Pin me down, I just want to see if you can." Freddie sighed and looked toward his friends, as though asking for help.

"Don't look at us," Jake said while giving Freddie a small smirk. Freddie narrowed his eyes and glared at Jake.

"You better make no jokes, understand?" Jake shrugged and Freddie looked toward Sam. "I'd rather not pin you down, but okay." Freddie placed his hands on Sam's arms and fell backwards with Sam, she yelped as she fell forward. Freddie then flipped over and Sam found herself lying on her back and looking up at Freddie. Her hands were on his chest and his hands were beside her head.

"Damn, I got pinned by the dork…" Freddie smirked and Sam felt a shiver rushing down her spine while gazing into his eyes. It took all her strength not to grab his head and pull him down, kissing him like mad. Of course, Freddie was having the same basic struggle. Sam felt her heart thump once more and her body was starting to grow warmer. Freddie was gazing into her eyes and trying hard to escape the pull of the bright blue ocean.

"Damn...I knew I shouldn't have pinned you." Sam raised her eyebrow and listened to Freddie's breathing. She watched as his chest moved out and then in with rhythm. She knew there was a lot of testosterone in the place, which probably meant Freddie's hormones were flaring. Of course, hers were as well. She loved those piercing eyes of his, every time she looked into them, it appeared as though he were looking into her soul. He could see that her breathing was slower. Her chest rose and fell at a subtle pace. Freddie wondered if Jake was going to say anything.

"Freddie…" Jake and Jonah just watched the two, wondering if they were ever going to get up. Jonah glanced over at Jake, thinking if he should signal Jake to make a joke.

"You know, your eyes are really easy to get lost in," Freddie said in a quiet voice. "They always have been…" Sam blushed and felt her hormones shooting around like crazy. If she wasn't careful, she was going to start making out with the guy. Sam silently swallowed and felt her heart start beating harder inside her chest.

"You haven't pinned me down, I can still get away." Freddie smirked and lowered his body, pressing it against hers. Sam gasped lightly and her breathing slowed. Freddie was now closer to her, his lips were mere inches from hers. She found herself wanting him to kiss her, she was growing more and more desperate to embrace those lips of his.

"It seems I have you pinned down, can you get away now?"

"P-People are watching." Freddie flashed another smirk and caused Sam to start melting and turning into putty underneath him.

"Let them watch." Jake smirked and Jonah raised his eyebrow, knowing that Jake was fixing to say something.

"Hey, if you two start making out, let us know, so we don't have to watch you doing it on the mat," Jake said while grinning. Freddie and Sam gasped and their eyes widened considerably. Freddie quickly got up and Sam stood up after him.

"Pervert!" Jake laughed as his friends glared at him. Jonah, on the other hand, was rolling his eyes and groaning at the bad joke. Freddie sighed and turned toward Sam, she was still blushing and looking toward the ground. She looked up and at Freddie when she felt his eyes on him.

"If you want to be stronger, I can teach you in self defense and help you in exercising. You'll get stronger and feel like you can protect yourself." Freddie crossed his arms over and gazed into Sam's eyes, once more starting to lose himself. He turned his gaze from her and walked over to the weight bench. "I can get you started on the exercise program that I work out with, and so forth. You'll just have to become disciplined. Eventually, you'll be able to lift this weight, but I'll most likely be way ahead of you." Freddie smirked once more and Sam started to melt once more.

"There she goes again," Jake said while crossing his arms and smirking. "Face it Freddie, we were right. She _does_ have the hots for you." Freddie narrowed his eyes and glared at Jake. Sam blinked and seemed to be slightly clueless as to what Jake was talking about.

"Jake, do us all a favor and shut up."

"Sorry dude." Freddie sighed and looked back to Sam.

"Anyway, if you want to become stronger, then we can start off tomorrow. Do you want to meet up in the park?"

"Yeah, that'll work out just fine," Sam said while giving a brief nod. "Uh, I'll let you get back to your exercise…I think the girls probably want to do something." Sam turned around and quickly walked out of the gym. Freddie and the guys just shook their heads and moved back to the weight bench.

"You looked like you were about to kiss her," Jonah said while crossing his arms. "Why didn't you? Jake's right, it's clear that she likes you."

"Yeah, I figured that much," Freddie said while sitting back on the bench. "I just have my own reasons for not asking her out right away. I'll do it, don't worry." Freddie laid back on the bench and gripped the bar, his two friends moved to spotter position so they could continue their workouts.

-NEW SCENE-

Sam made her way to the park and spotted Freddie talking with Jonah and Jake. She carefully snuck up behind Freddie, hoping to get the jump on him. So far it seemed that none of the guys noticed her, making it easy for her to sneak up from behind. Freddie let out a sigh and glanced upwards. "Hey Sam, are you ready to start?" Sam froze in place and watched as Freddie turned to her and smirked. "How are you today?"

"Damn! You weren't supposed to do that," Sam said while frowning and glaring at Freddie. He shrugged and stepped next to Sam, she stayed in place, not moving. She took a deep breath as he stood next to her, she had to keep her composure. "So, where do we begin? Will this really help me? I want to be stronger…" Freddie sighed and placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, causing her to struggle to keep herself from fainting.

"You are already strong enough, and yes, you're going to get stronger." Freddie turned around and walked toward Jake and Jonah. He crossed his arms and looked toward Sam. "Anyway, they're going to help me out a bit as well. Watch what happens when they strike me from behind." Jonah quickly brought his arm out and used a knife hand strike against Freddie. Freddie brought his arm up and blocked the blow. Sam's eyes widened and she took a small step back, she hadn't even seen the movements. "Oh yeah, and your movements will become faster and you won't be so easily detected."

"As if I'm easily detected already, idiot dork…" Sam blushed and Freddie merely smirked. He knew he would have a time training her. Freddie folded his arms back over his chest and narrowed his eyes as he gazed into her eyes. He could tell what her feelings for him were, but he needed to make sure that she wouldn't let her feelings distract her. "Uh, maybe we should go ahead and exercise first?" Freddie chuckled slightly and slowly shook his head, causing Sam to give a small sigh of defeat. "Damn, and here I was hoping to do that…it's not so scary."

"Believe me, fighting will always seem scary. Hopefully, you'll never have to fight…" Sam shrugged and crossed her arms, she didn't care if she never had to fight or if she did, she just wanted to prove to the world that she was tough. Freddie smirked as he noted the determination in her eyes, that was definitely something that she needed to have. "You look like you have something to prove, that's great. Just another thing I love about you." Sam felt her heart jump at the statement as Freddie shifted into a position. "Let's start with the frontal kick….Sam?" Sam looked almost dazed. Freddie sighed and shook his head. "Sam!"

"What! I'm listening…" Freddie sighed and moved over to her. She gasped and held her breath as he stepped close to her, holding his eyes just mere inches from hers. She felt the heat in her body start rising once more. _"What the hell is wrong with me? How is he having this effect on me? It didn't used to be like this before…"_ Sam felt her heartbeat quicken as Freddie lifted his hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Come on dork, let's just get started. I just want to learn how to get tougher, and perhaps I can even pin _you_ to the ground."

"That won't ever happen. Of course, if you want to get stronger, it won't happen unless you can stop being distracted. I think it's great that you have determination and you want to grow tougher than you already are, but you _need_ to be focused." Sam rolled her eyes and glanced to the side.

"Yeah, whatever, let's just get this done. I can take you anyway." Freddie smirked and Sam let out a small sigh.

"Try not to get _too_ over confident. Are you sure you're ready to start?"

"Yeah, let's do this!" Freddie nodded and walked toward Jake and Jonah. Sam watched as they got into a certain form. Sam mimicked the form by keeping her legs in place and squatting slightly.

"Now, place your arms against your ribcage like so…" Freddie clenched his fists and placed his arms to his side with his elbow sticking out past his back. Sam mimicked the posture. "Throw a punch, try to conceal it. Speed will raise over time." The guys punched out and Sam mimicked the punch. They went on to practice several punches and then kicks.

"Freddie, are we ever going to do more than just punches and kicks?"

"Oh yeah, I'll show you some nice combo attacks and everything. Then, we'll go to the gym, does that sound good?" Sam paused for a minute and soon nodded her head in reply. "Good."

-NEW SCENE-

Months passed by and Sam was nearly Freddie's equal. She became tougher, as she wanted, and soon even more kids in the school feared her. The wedgies she gave Gibby were even worse than before, and Rueben's advances toward her were even more frequent. She kept turning him down, of course. She only had eyes for Freddie.

"When is he going to like me?" Sam asked while walking down the street with Valerie and Carly. Her two friends actually wanted to see her spar with Freddie. Currently, they were all talking about Sam's major crush on Freddie. Not only that, they were also discussing Rueben's way of asking her out and the way Gibby stared at her. It looked like Gibby hated her, but that was natural, since she always seemed to pick on him. "I'm finally his equal, sort of. He can lift more than I can."

"You were his equal long before," Carly said while chuckling slightly. "The only thing was that he worked out and you didn't."

"I worked out."

"Once every two to three weeks doesn't count." Sam frowned and crossed her arms. "Anyway, what are you going to tell Rueben if he asks you out _again_?" Sam shrugged and glanced to the side, she had no clue how to tell Rueben anything. He didn't even talk normally when it came to her. Of course, he seemed to talk naturally with Gibby. "He kind of creeps me out, you know, gives me the shivers."

"Again, I wouldn't be worried too much about him. Besides, he's not man enough to do anything."

"Yeah, don't worry too much about those two," Valerie responded while smiling at her friends. "They're just a pair of bumbling idiots. They can't do anything, and probably won't even think to do anything." The girls heard a clicking sound and stopped walking, they turned around and saw Gibby, Jeremy and Rueben glaring at them.

"Oh, we're stupid, are we?" Gibby asked while smirking. Valerie and Carly took a slight step back, not sure what to suspect. Their eyes widened when Gibby pulled out a gun, they looked over and saw Jeremy pulling out a knife. Rueben had a pair of handcuffs in his hands.

"W-What are you doing with those?" Carly asked. Now she was starting to fear. Sam looked like she was afraid as well.

"Oh, we're just looking for a little revenge," Gibby said while growling. He took a menacing step toward the girls and kept his eyes narrowed. "Sam, you're going to pay for all the crap you've been giving us over time. Also, before you die, Rueben's going to have a little fun with you."

"I'm going to treat you like a pig about to be branded," Rueben stated with a menacing tone of voice.

"I have no clue what you just said," Sam stated while raising her eyebrow. She was starting to grow fearful, she knew she had to get the girls out of there.

"Fine then, I'll talk normally." Sam paused for a minute and Rueben let out a small growl. "I'm going to tear you open and then we're going to kill you." Valerie and Carly both gasped while Sam stood in place, appearing to not be fazed by Rueben's words. They knew what he wanted, but Sam wasn't about to let him anywhere near me.

"I think you should know, you wouldn't get away with it. Freddie would bring you down, anyway."

"Freddie won't ever have to know. He never will know. Besides, he's not here at the moment." Sam shrugged and then slowly tightened her fists.

"Carly, Valerie, go get the boys." Carly and Valerie looked at Sam in shock, they didn't want to leave her there.

"No, we're not leaving you!" Valerie exclaimed.

"Do you think I want you in danger? Go get the boys, please, hurry it up!" Carly and Valerie had no choice, if all of them died where they were, they wouldn't be found for a while. They were near a part of town that not many people hung around. Carly and Valerie ran around a building, surprised that the boys let them flee. Valerie and Carly stopped and looked back.

"Carly, you go ahead. I'll stay here and watch…"

"Are you sure?" Carly asked while looking at Valerie with worry and fear.

"Why wouldn't I be, I don't want to leave her by herself. If she gets hurt, I can always try and help her." Carly nodded and broke into a run toward the park.

"Just be careful!" Valerie nodded and pressed her back against the wall. Her breathing became labored as her fear started to rise. She brought her head around the corner and saw Sam staring down the three boys.

"So, Jeremy, why are you here?" Sam asked while looking over at him. Jeremy shifted his eyes to the side and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm guessing Gibby and Rueben pulled you in on this without you actually willing it, right?" Jeremy shrugged again and lifted his head, glaring at Sam. Sam had a massive amount of fear running through her body, but she couldn't show it.

"We're going to rape you," Rueben said while taking a step forward. "Then we're going to go ahead and kill you." Sam took a breath and slowly exhaled.

"Go ahead…and try." Sam narrowed her eyes and prepared for an attack. The three men charged toward Sam and started to grab for her. Fortunately, she actually sparred with Freddie, Jake, and Jonah all at once. Sam dodged a grab by someone and swiftly deflected another blow, but was stopped when Jeremy wrapped an arm around her throat and pointed a knife toward the side of her neck.

"If you move, I'll kill you," Jeremy said while letting out a small growl. Sam made a gasping sound as Rueben grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her. Gibby stepped in front of her and smirked.

"So, what were you thinking of doing?" Gibby asked while grinning evilly. Sam closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, she thought of a way she could use this to her advantage. She quickly gripped part of the handcuffs that Rueben held and smirked.

"Hey, let go of the handcuffs!" Rueben exclaimed. Sam quickly shook her head, causing her hair to run into Jeremy's nose. Jeremy gasped and released Sam's neck while starting to sneeze. He then sneezed on Rueben. "Crap! Stop sneezing!" Rueben lifted his hands as Jeremy continued to sneeze on Rueben. Sam brought her hands around and wrapped them around Gibby's neck. She then brought her leg up and kicked Gibby in the crotch.

"Damn it!" Gibby exclaimed as he doubled over in pain. Sam quickly cycled around Gibby and started to pant. She had to make sure she didn't get in that position again. Before Gibby or Rueben could regain their composure, Sam lifted her leg and kicked Gibby in the back.

"Hah, got you!" Jeremy shouted as he grabbed Sam's leg. Sam's eyes widened and then narrowed as Jeremy lifted his knife up. "Now I'm going to cut you…like they want me to do…" Sam smirked and brought her other leg into the air. With incredible speed, she kicked the knife from Jeremy's hand, pulled her other leg from his grasp, and landed safely on the ground. "Damn it!" Sam then performed several chain roundhouse kicks on Jeremy, making sure to beat him toward the ground.

"Damn it, grab her!" Gibby shouted as he regained his composure. Rueben wiped his face one last time and sneered at Sam. Sam smirked at the boys and lifted the handcuffs up. "Crap, she's got the handcuffs…"

"You were thinking maybe you'd handcuff my wrists together and have your way with me?" Sam asked while narrowing her eyes. "Wrong, I won't be needing Freddie this time around. Actually, I do need him, but I think I can handle you…" Sam really wanted Freddie to be there, so he could protect her. Of course, she was glad that she could take care of herself for the time being. _"I can't beat them down, I'll just have to hold them off."_

"Damn it…" Gibby clenched his teeth and lifted his gun up. "I'm not above shooting you if I have to." Sam shrugged and crossed her arms.

"I'm not afraid." That was a lie, and she knew it. She was afraid as hell of Gibby, but more afraid of Rueben. Jeremy wasn't too much for her to handle, he was weak. Sam swiftly grabbed the knife that Jeremy dropped and tossed it toward Gibby, he never saw it coming. Gibby screamed out as the knife hit his hand, causing him to drop the gun.

"Crap!" Sam swiftly charged toward Gibby and crashed her fist into his abdomen. Rueben snuck up behind her, but Sam lifted her leg up and kicked back, hitting him in the sternum. Rueben took a step back, winded by the blow. Sam quickly cycled around Gibby and brought her knee up, slamming it into his back. Gibby groaned and fell to the ground, he couldn't believe what was happening. "Damn you, bitch!" Gibby grabbed Sam's leg and the other two grabbed her arms, she screamed out and growled. "Hah, you're stuck now."

"Actually…" Sam smirked and tapped her free foot on the ground. "I still have a free leg." Sam quickly stepped on Gibby's hand, causing him to let go and grab his wrist while screaming in pain. Reuben and Jeremy stared at Sam with wide eyes as she held her smirk. "Keep holding me, boys. I am a lot more flexible than you think." Sam lifted her legs up and proceeded to do a slight split in the air, kicking both boys in the abdomen.

"Crap, that hurts!" Jeremy shouted as he stepped back. Rueben growled and quickly grabbed the handcuffs from Sam's hand. He glared at her as she leapt back and glared into his eyes. Rueben narrowed his eyes as Jeremy stepped next to him. Gibby was too busy trying to regain his composure after having taken a beating to the hand, gut, and crotch. "She beat down our boss, Rueben."

"Shut up, Jeremy," Rueben said, his voice dripping with anger. Jeremy nodded as Rueben continued to stare at Sam. His eyes drifted up and down Sam's body, and his tongue soon licked across his lips. "Don't put up such a struggle. It only turns me on more." Sam rolled her eyes and slowly clenched her fists.

"How about you stop undressing me with your eyes, sick bastard," Sam responded while narrowing her eyes. "I don't need some perverted, disgusting asshole coming around me and talking to me like that!" Rueben tilted his head back and laughed, causing Sam to raise her eyebrow. "Okay, what the hell is so funny?" Rueben looked back to Sam and crossed his arms, he smirked and took a step forward. "Why would you be walking toward me? I think it would be a good idea for you to back up, _now._"

"I think I have you figured out." Rueben started to circle Sam, she kept her eyes on him, making sure he didn't make any sudden movements. "I bet you wouldn't mind Benson talking to you like that." Sam's eyes remained narrow as she carefully watched him.

"I would beat him up horribly if he ever talked to me like that. At least Freddie is a respectable man, whereas you are…not." Rueben scowled and Sam remained calm, despite her fear. Reuben sneered at her and laughed once more. "You know that now you would stand no chance of me ever going on a date with you."

"Aw, that's too bad. Why is that? Has Freddie already taken you? I bet you wouldn't mind my hands all over that sleek body." She could tell that he was just trying to get her mad. He was all for defense, he was waiting for her to make a move. The second she attacked, he could get her. "Come on Sam, aren't you going to fight? You should know, I like them feisty…" Sam growled and bared her teeth, threatening him. She chose not to charge at Rueben, but merely looked for an opening. "Aren't you going to do something? Anything at all will do."

"Come on," Jeremy whined. "Maybe I can bring her to her knees." Sam didn't take her eyes off Rueben, knowing he'd attack if she did.

"Do whatever."

"Yes!" Jeremy picked up the knife and looked at Sam. He was actually sorry that he had to be involved in this. He didn't really want to hurt Sam, not entirely. She didn't do a whole lot to him, only called him names. "I'm sorry, Sam. I don't want to have to hurt you." Sam raised her eyebrow and scoffed.

"This is coming from the same man that held me at knife point just a minute ago," Sam responded. Jeremy frowned and Sam continued to keep her eyes on Rueben. He was like a shark, a very deadly shark. Sam had to be extremely careful with him. "So, Rueben, can I ask what made you think you could take me on?"

"I reckon it's because you're a girl." Sam raised her eyebrow at that, feeling as though she'd just been insulted. "Besides, I wouldn't have to be doing this, if you hadn't continued to turn me down."

"I already had eyes on someone else, _Ruby_." Rueben paused at that and growled slightly, glaring at Sam as she smirked.

"Well then, who is this other person?"

"Oh, you stopped circling, and do I spy an opening!" Rueben raised his eyebrow and Sam quickly kicked his ankle, causing him to fall.

"Damn it!" As he fell, Sam quickly brought her knee up and hit him in the chest. Then she used a knife hand strike and hit him in the back, sending him toward the ground at a faster rate.

"You see, _that's_ what happens when you mess with Sam Puckett!" Sam then charged toward Jeremy, he stuttered and raised his arm. Sam smirked and grabbed his wrist. "What's wrong, Jeremy? You look as pale as a ghost!" Sam then brought her other arm up and hit him in the side, causing him an extreme amount of pain. Then she cycled around him, pulling his arm behind his back and twisting it.

"AAH! That hurts!"

"Sorry about it, but it has to be done." Sam brought her knee up and hit Jeremy in the lower back and knocking him toward the ground. Sam saw Gibby trying to do a pushup, in order to get back up. She quickly rushed over to him and placed her foot on his back, pressing down and slamming him into the gravel. "I'm going to go ahead and give you one last wedgie, lard ass."

"Not so fast!" Rueben exclaimed. Sam looked over to see him with a gun in his hand, aiming directly toward Sam. Jeremy soon got up and glared at her, but at the same time, wanting to get away from the area. Sam flinched for a second, but that was long enough. Gibby quickly grabbed her leg and pulled, sending her toward the ground.

"Ah!" Sam banged into the ground and soon found herself looking into Gibby's eyes. He was glaring at her with intense rage, he looked ready to kill. Gibby then grabbed her hair and pulled her up. "Okay, pulling the hair, painful!" She felt a gun to her back and sighed, knowing the gun belonged to Gibby. "Well, it looks like you have a gun…how nice for me."

"Jeremy!" Rueben's shout was like an order, it caused Jeremy to jump slightly and rush over to Sam. He positioned his blade at her throat while Gibby held her arms behind her waist. Rueben smirked and walked toward her, but stayed out of range from legs.

"If Freddie were here, he'd break your ribs. I would do that myself, but my kick just isn't that good…Come a little closer, and maybe we'll find out." Rueben laughed and kept his gun locked onto Sam.

"I think I'll just take my chances with you. Damn, I never thought it'd be this difficult."

"Surely you didn't think it'd be _easy_,did you? No way am I easy."

"I never said you were, hot stuff." Sam growled slightly and glanced toward Jeremy.

"Hey, if you let me go, I'll never call you germy again."

"Tempting, but I think I'll pass," Jeremy said while glancing at Gibby and Rueben with fear.

"So, you're going to let them rule you?"

"Look at it this way, we have weapons, you have nothing. You should do the math."

"I've been doing a damn good job of handling you so far-" Sam was stopped when Rueben grabbed her throat. He brought his face dangerously close to Sam and glared into her eyes.

"You don't know how to shut up, do you?" Rueben asked while tilting his head slightly. Sam narrowed her eyes and just glared in response.

"It would be better for you if you let me go." Rueben smirked and licked his lips once more, causing Sam to nearly cringe.

"You never did answer my question, who is this other person that you've had your eyes on? I'd love to meet him."

"He's twice the man you are, that's for sure." Sam shifted her eyes over and then smirked as she looked back into Rueben's eyes. "Then again, you're not much of a man at all, Ruby." Sam tilted her head back slightly and let out a sigh. "It's about time you showed up, Freddie." Rueben raised his eyebrow and glanced back, seeing Freddie standing with his arms crossed and eyes narrow. Jake and Jonah were behind him, standing next to Carly and Valerie.

"Let her go, you bastards!" Valerie shouted. Tears were in her eyes from watching the fight take place, she was scared for Sam. "Let her go, or I'll fight you myself!"

"I'll beat you down, too!" Carly exclaimed. Her fists were tightened and her teeth clenched down. "Let our best friend go right now." Freddie closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he unfolded his arms. He opened his eyes and glared at Rueben.

"Release her, Rueben," Freddie said, his voice dripping with calm anger. "Not a bad job holding them off, Sam." Freddie smirked and Sam rolled her eyes.

"Now is _not _the time!" Sam exclaimed. Rueben's eyes shook with anger and an angry growl escaped his lips.

"Jeremy, kill him!" Rueben ordered. Freddie raised his eyebrow and looked at Jeremy. He smirked and closed his eyes when he saw how fearful and nervous the boy was. Jeremy shook and looked at Rueben. "What the hell are you waiting for? Knife the guy, damn it!" Jeremy paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Well, come on," Freddie said while keeping his eyes narrow. Jeremy nodded and swiftly charged toward Freddie, bringing the blade toward him, but his speed was too slow. Freddie quickly bent down, letting the knife pass his head. "I didn't want to have to do this to you…I really detest fighting." Freddie quickly gave Jeremy an upper cut in the abdomen. He then grabbed Jeremy's knife arm by the wrist and swung his other arm in a U shape, hitting Jeremy's elbow and cracking his arm. Jeremy cried out in pain and took a step back.

"Why the hell!" Jeremy exclaimed. Freddie growled and lifted his leg up. Jeremy's eyes widened as Freddie gave him a side kick to the ribs, slamming him against a wall and crushing some of his ribs. "D-Damn it…" Freddie grabbed Jeremy's knife and thrust it toward Gibby, striking the man in the back. Gibby shouted out in pain and released Sam's wrists. Sam was grateful for that. She grabbed Rueben's arm and smirked, seeing the boy was in total shock. She clenched his wrist and pulled his arm away from her neck.

"_Never_ grab me by my throat again," Sam said while narrowing her eyes. Sam brought her leg up and kneed Rueben in the side, she then grabbed his gun away from him and tossed it next to Jeremy's unconscious body. Sam looked over at Jeremy and then back to Freddie. "You really knocked the wind out of him…I didn't know you had those kind of moves."

"Can I help it, I'm a Chuck Norris fan," Freddie responded while smirking. "I think you can handle Gibby, right?" Freddie glanced at Rueben and narrowed his eyes. "I want a piece of this bastard, I'll take him with my hands in my pocket."

"Uh, sure…" Freddie put his hands in his pocket and then did a roundhouse kick, hitting Rueben in the back. Freddie then pulled his leg back in the air and hit Rueben in several areas on his body. "Nice moves, well, I'll deal with Gibby now." Sam looked over at Gibby as he pulled the knife from his back and slowly stood up, panting from his wounds and glaring at Sam. "Hey, don't be mad at me, lard ass. I'm not the one that stabbed you with that knife." Gibby threw the knife toward Sam, but she quickly dodged it. Her eyes widened when she saw the knife rushing toward Freddie. "Freddie! The-" Freddie quickly dodged the knife and let it hit Rueben in the right chest region.

"Don't worry about me, Sam." Sam let out a sigh of relief and then turned toward Gibby, glaring like mad at him.

"How _dare_ you." Sam charged toward Gibby and slammed her fist into his abdomen. Gibby shouted out and Sam grabbed his arm, pulling it behind his back and twisting it. "You thought you could sneak up on me and take me out without expecting a fight?" Sam gripped Gibby's underwear and pulled it up with more strength than she ever used on him.

"NO!" Gibby shouted. "It hurts!" Jonah winced when he saw the wedgie, it looked like it would burn more than the wedgie bounce did. Sam spun Gibby around and growled as she swiftly punched him in the face.

"I hope you enjoyed that wedgie! It may be your last!" Sam brought her hand up and hit Gibby in the neck, knocking him out. Sam let out a small sigh and turned to see Freddie watching her, his arms were crossed and a smirk was on his face. Rueben was unconscious next to him.

"That's pretty good fighting, Sam," Freddie said in a quiet voice. "Do you think you're tough enough, now?" Sam let the tears fall from her face as she ran toward Freddie and wrapped her arms around him. She buried her face in his chest and started to sob. "Sam? Hey, its okay, you're safe. You did just fine…"

"I was so scared." Freddie wrapped his arms around Sam and held her close, not daring to let her go. He knew she would naturally be scared, anyone that had just been in her situation would be. "You didn't seem scared at all, you never do."

"Sam, I'm always scared…" Sam raised her eyebrow and looked up, gazing into Freddie's soft eyes. "I was scared when Carly showed up, but you didn't. I was scared when she said that you were in danger. I'm always scared if something's going on and I can't protect you. That's why I started working out in the first place. I could see the evil look in Gibby's eyes, I knew he might do something one day, and I wanted to keep you safe. Of course, that doesn't mean that I'm not glad you can defend yourself even more now…but I still want to be stronger than you." Freddie smirked and Sam merely blinked.

"You want to protect _me_? You don't have to protect me, I mean…" Sam blushed and Freddie's grip around her waist tightened. Rueben let out a groan and Freddie kicked back, hitting Rueben's head with his heel and knocking the person back out. "Does that mean you actually _like_ me?" Freddie smiled at Sam and her blush only seemed to grow.

"Sam, I've been in love with you for years, you just never noticed. You were too busy playing pranks and teasing me, trying to get me to notice you, to see that I already _did_ notice you. I love you, Sam, and I always will." Sam felt her heart thump in her chest, she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Freddie Benson loved her. "Of course, Jake and Jonah never were allowed to tell you, but there's a reason. It's never wise to let your friends tell someone that you like, that you like that person. Oh, and who _is_ that other guy that you've had your eyes set upon?" Freddie smirked and Sam felt her hormones start flaring up, as they often did when she was in his arms.

"You know…I never thought you cared so much for me. I mean…I love you too, Freddie." Freddie placed his finger under Sam's chin and smiled as he gazed into her eyes.

"You have the most wonderful eyes that I've ever seen. You have such a great and fiery personality. I love everything about you, inside and out."

"Are you going to kiss me or something? Damn that sounded cheesy…" Freddie chuckled lightly and lowered his lips to hers, embracing her lips in full passion.

Carly and Valerie could be heard, awing at the sight. Jake and Jonah merely crossed their arms and smirked. Sam's eyes fluttered shut as she felt a wonderful and cleansing sensation going through her body. It warmed her and satisfied her hormones. It was as though she were being lifted into the air and soaring through the warm breeze. It was truly the greatest feeling ever, and Sam couldn't think of better words to describe what she was feeling. She had to watch her hormones, though, she didn't want to go too far. Freddie parted lips and gazed into her eyes, brushing her hair back with his hand.

Soon, sirens were heard and cars parked near the curb. Freddie's father stepped out of the leading car as several police officers and paramedics stepped out of theirs. "I love you," Freddie said while kissing Sam's forehead and releasing her. Freddie turned to his father as Mr. Benson walked up to him. "Hey dad, Carly got me from the park and told me what was going on. Sam managed to fend off the three until I got here. Jeremy might have a few crushed ribs…" John crossed his arms and chuckled slightly.

"Okay Son, we'll talk about this later," John said while the paramedics rushed to the three unconscious bodies. "The department will sort all this out, and those three will go to jail. I'll make sure of that." Freddie nodded and looked over as Sam stepped next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "So, you handled these three on your own? I expected as much from you." Sam smiled and wiped a tear from her eyes, she was just glad the entire ordeal was over. "Let's get you home, I'm sure your parents are worried."

"Yeah, thanks, Mr. Benson," Sam replied. Valerie and Carly hurried over to Sam and quickly hugged her, Jake and Jonah merely stood next to Freddie and patted him on the back. With that, the friends went in the cars to go home. Sam was just happy that she was able to say that she was indeed stronger. Of course, she didn't really care so much, since she was just as happy having Freddie protect her. In the end, she didn't really need to prove anything to anyone, she was happy with things just the way they were.

* * *

Celts, this is for you, so you're one person who definitely should check it out. Hope you all liked this! Oh, and please, don't tell me that this could have been separated into chapters. There is a reason I wanted this as a oneshot. Oneshot means one chapter. Again, I hope you enjoyed this!


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